Dredge bucket



Aug. 14, 1923.

11 465.163 J. E. EDWARDS DREDGE BUCKET Filed April 11. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 gnue'nfoz Joseph E. Edwards.

Quanta Aug. 14, 1923. 11,465,1153

J. E. EDWARDS DREDGE BUCKET Filed April 11. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2illiiil I gmew roz Joseph EEdwakds Enemies A 14, 1912s.

UNITED STATES 5' l i l i JOSEPH EJIEDWABDS, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE Be itknown that LJOSEPH E. Eowiinns, a;.citizen of the United States,residingat Memphis, in the county of Shelbyand State ofj Tennessee, haveinvented certain new "and useful Improvements in Dredge Buck- 'ets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to a dredge bucket and it is an object thereofto provide a device of the character described which shall be moreeflicient in use than those at present known; A defect of the bucketsnow used is that the dirt becomes packed and adheres to, the bucketinstead of being dumped in proper manner. This is particularly true indry land dredges, where the lubricatinggefiect of water is lacking.There appears to be also a certain amount of suction in such dredgeswhich helps to hold the earth to the bucket and this is overcome in theoperation of my device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 7 which are made a part hereofand on which similar reference characters indicatesiinilar parts,

Figure 1 1s anelevatlon of the bucket and related devices viewed fromone side,

'Figure 2 an enlarged side view of the bucket,

Figure 3 a plan of the bucket frame, and

Figure A, a detail elevation of the trip. In the drawings referencecharacter 10 ini dicates the forked end of a-dipper stick carrying thebucketwhich is the subjectof my invention andcomprises a shell 11. and abifurcated frame 12 having downwardlybent 1 cars 13' and downwardlyextending fianges forks of the dipper stick. A link 18 at the upper endof the bail connects the bucket toa loading line 21 which passes over apulley 22 on a boom-23, all in theusual manner.

The pin19'for1ns also a pivotal support for a trip 24. The trip 2Lhasat25 an opening through which the rear end-I2 of the bucket frame extendsand at the upper end of the opening it carries an anti-friction roller26 engaging said rear end. A line 27 :IDREDGE BUCKET.

Application filed April 11, 1922. Serial No. 551,591.

is attached to the trip normally in the position shown in Figure l. Thetrip line 21" passes about a roller 28 on the pivot 15, thence about aroller 29 on a rod 30 fixed to the forks 10 and so to the hole 31 at theupper end of the trip. The bucket is reset by means of a re-setting orbacking line 32 attached about midway of the pivot 15 and the end of'the bucket at 12, this line passing over a roller 33 on a rod 3% alsofixed in the 7 forks 10. The trip is counter-weighted at 36 to hold itin position. I

It will be seen thatthe body of the bucket is shell-shaped and slopesequally or nearly so, toward either end from the middle, whereas otherbucketsof which I am aware are flat at the bottom and have a rear wallsubstantially at right angles to the bottom. By my structure it will beseen that as the steel cutting edge 35 digs into the soil the earthtaken up will pass smoothly along the bottom of the bucket without beingpacked at one place more than at the others. This is especiallydesirable in dry earth work and has been found satisfactoryin heavy waxysoil where other buckets would clog constantly. The pull on the loadline and the force exerted by the conventional crowding boom attached tothe dipper stick are effective along a line extending substantially frompivot 15 to the cutting edge 35, producing a most effective cuttingaction, due in part to the rigidity of braces 17.

It will be seen also that the bucket of my device turns com Jleteluaside down which y assists in clearing thesaine of earth, partlybecause of the position assumed and partly because of the distancethrough which it swings whereby centrifugal force is brought into actionto free the bucket of the material 'carried thereby. However, if theearth does not adhere to the bucket the upsetting of the bucket can belimited by means of the backing line. After it has turned over, thebacking line .will be pulled on the reverse swing of the bucket toreturn it to working position. As it swings back the end 12 strikes theweighted part of the trip to tilt the same. As both lines 32 and 27 areslackened the, trip catches over the end 12" and holds the .bucket in.place. "It will be noted that the line 32 is ordinaily slack to permit apull on 27 to release the trip. Another advantage of the device is thatstumps do not become fixed to the bucket as in those of ordinary typewhere it frequently becomes necessary to chop the stumps out with anaxe.

If the bucket is not filled at the first forward stroke it is entirelysafe to make a second stroke as there is no danger of accidentaltripping of the bucket.

The maximum average daily yardage for dredge buckets now in use is about15,000 cubic yards. With my improved buckets this is increased to amaximum 'of from 35,000 040,000 cubic yards.

Ha-vingthus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a dredge, a dipper stick, a bucket pivoted thereon having ashell-shaped bott0m, a pivot-slightly in rear of the bottom andunderneath the bucket whereby the: same will be completely invertedunder the action of gravity, substantially as set forth.

2. In a dredge, a dipper stick, a bucket pivotal-1y supported thereby, abail 'atthe endof the dipper stick, a trip at-thc rear of the bucket, apivot for said trip and brace for the bail attached to the dipper stickby said pivot, substantially as setforth.

3. In a dipper dredge, a dipper stick, a bucket .pivotally supported atthe front end thereof, said pivot'being slightly in the rear of thebottom and underneath the bucket,

said bucket curving equally from its bottom point toward the front andrear ends, substantially as set forth.

a. In a dipper dredge, a dipper stick, a bucket comprising a shellcurving substantially equally from the bottom toward the pivot end, aframe carrying said shell and providing downwardly extending flanges anda pivot for the bucket extending through the dipper stick and saidflanges, substantially as set forth.

5. A dipper dredge buckethaving a shell curving substantially equallyfrom the bottom toward the front and rear ends, a bifurcated framesupporting the same, said frame having downwardly extended longitudinalflanges and a rearward extension adapted to be acted on by a trip,substantially as set forth. 7

6. A dipper dredge comprising a dipper stick, a bucket having a shelland a flanged supporting frame therefor, a link at the forward end ofsaiddipper stickand a pivot passing through the dipper stick, the linkand the flangeson the bucket, substantially as set forth.

7. A'bucket dredge comprising, a boom,-

rearwardly to anoperator,

thereof and having a rearward extension,

a trip pivotally mounted adjacent the rear extension and having aportion adapted to "engage over the same, a trip line secured to theupper end of the trip, a pulley on the dipper stick in rear of'the'trip, a pulley on the pivot of the bucket and atrip line attachedto the upper end of the trip and 'ex tending rearwardly over the firstpulley,

thence forward over the second and then substantially as set forth.

9. A dipper dredge comprising a forked dipper stick, a bucket pivoted atthe forward end ofthesame and having-a rearward extension, a trippivoted adjacent said extension'and adapted to engage over the-same, aseriesof pulleys arrangecbbe't'ween the forks of the dipper stick, "atrip line tending from the trip back ever the 'rearmost pulley, thenceover the foremost pulley 'andto an operator, and 'a normallyslackbacking line for the bucket attached to one end o'fthe trip lineamt-extendin from an intermediate pulley to its point of connection withthe bucket, substantially asset forth. r 7

10. A dipper dredge comprising a dipper stick, a bucket pivoted thereonand provided with a forward cutting edge, an upwardly extending bail apair of braces secured to the dipper stick-and extending to the bail,said braces being-substantially parallel with the forward cutting edgeof the bucket, and means for applying power throughthe braces to thedipper stick along a line passing through the pivot ofth'e bucket andthe forward cuttingedge thereof, substantially asset forth.

11. A dipper dredge comprising a dipper the bucket, a pivoted triphaving-an opening surrounding said rearward extension and engaging theinclined upper surface thereof whereby the weight of the bucket holdsthe trip in place, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Memphi's,Tennessee, thislOth'day of Febru'a-ry, A. D. nineteen hundred andtwenty-two.

Josnrnn. EDWARDS; {1.55.1

lVitne sses H 7 JOHN Faster, M. .BAILEY.

